History

In the 1930′s, an enterprising young couple, Carmelo and Filomena Ippolito, launched their business as a wholesaler of fresh fruit and vegetables in Hamilton, Ontario.

In time, their son joined the organization, and today, no less then four generations of Ippolitos have helped the business in its evolution. The family’s dedication has nurtured the company’s continued growth. In the 1960′s, Carmelo established East Lake Weir Groves Farm in Florida. In the decades since, they set up operations in Quebec, opened a new processing plant in Burlington, Ontario, created a separate trucking division called Ippolito Transportation and added growing and sales operations in California.

Today the company moves millions of produce packages each year across North America. Spinach is still an important product for The Ippolito Group, but not the only one. They now have over 200 sku’s of fresh bulk and packaged produce.

From humble beginnings, Carmelo and Filomena carefully nurtured their dream of starting over in a new land, and today their family business is an international success story. What’s behind the Queen Victoria Brand?

Queen Victoria may seem like an odd choice for a brand of spinach. But during WWII, when the Ippolitos first started packaging spinach in clear, cellophane bags, they wanted a name that showed the quality of their product and supported their loyalty to their new country.

True to it’s namesake, the Queen Victoria brand is proving to be a long serving monarch in the world of fresh produce.